December already!!!! Almost every month, I find myself saying, "Wow, (this month) already? Time is flying by." but it's true! Especially since I'm working so much and the days just blur together into one giant never-ending work day. Despite that, I am still trying my darndest to get into the Christmas spirit! I used my one day off this week to put up my decorations and lights and play a bit of Christmas music, which helped, and I made this pumpkin pie and that definitely helped, too! I always have so many ideas for Christmas things to make for the blog and I get so excited, but then disappointed because I simply don't have the time. I mean, I barely have time for laundry these days...

I used one of my rare two day weekends to make this pumpkin pie completely from scratch (short of growing the pumpkin myself) and it was really rewarding. I always try to make everything from scratch and I can't remember the last time I had to open a can in order to bake something. So to buy a cute lil Sugar Pie pumpkin, cut it up, roast it, puree it, and make a pie out of it is not out of the ordinary for me. But I understand that for some people it can be a little daunting. It's not! Honestly! Whole Foods carries this species of pumpkin (ideal for pies because of the low water content and sweetness) and you can roast it a day ahead to make the whole process easier.

If you have an awesome blender, this whole pie is way easier. You can puree the pumpkin and make the filling, blitz up the pecans, even make the pie dough in it, and make the chantilly in it, too! I've been wanting a high powered blender for ages and now that I have one, I'm using it for EVERYTHING. We have a couple Vitamixes at work that we use multiple times every day for all kinds of things - blending fluid gels, creating powders, emulsifying sauces, grinding spices, pureeing soups - so I'm super familiar with the durability and power of these awesome machines. Seriously, we beat the shit out of our Vitamixes at work.

If you're an eager beaver and are already planning out your Christmas menu, like some people I know (looking at you, Dad) then be sure to bookmark this pie for your big day! There's so many things you can do the day before to prep, so on the actual day you don't have to do everything at once and figuring out how to share the oven with a pie and a bird. Roasting and pureeing the pumpkin, making the pie dough, and making the chantilly can all be done the day before. So on the actual day, all you have to do is roll out the pie dough, bake it, mix up the filling, and bake it which can all be done in the morning so the oven is free later for the meat/sides/etc. And you can also spend time with your family and friends, which, y'know, is kinda the whole point of having everyone around for the holidays.

This post is sponsored by Vitamix. I only work with companies that I personally would use even if I wasn't asked to. Thanks for supporting the people that help support me!

For the pecan crust, put the pecans in the bowl of a food processor or blender and pule until finely ground. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor/blender to make sure none of the nuts are stuck to the sides. Add the flour, brown sugar, and salt, and pulse 2 to 3 times to mix the dry ingredients with the nuts. Add the butter and pulse 10 times or a few more until the pieces of butter are slightly smaller than peas.

Combine the 39 g of ice cold water with the vinegar and gradually pour through the opening in the lid and pulse 3 to 4 times, or until the mixture looks shaggy. Remove the lid and squeeze some of the dough, which should come together as a clump. If the mixture seems too dry, add the remaining 9 g of water and pulse a few more times.

Remove the dough and turn it out onto a work surface. Use your hands to gather the dough into a flattened disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling.

Make the brown butter chantilly. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until scalded. Pour the cream into a blender and add the brown butter and maple syrup. Blend on medium speed until the brown butter is completely emulsified into the cream. Remove from the blender and pour into a container. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

Meanwhile, start the pumpkin pie filling. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use a large heavy knife to quarter the pumpkin, then scrape out and discard all the fibres and seeds. Cut the pumpkin quarters in half crosswise to yield 8 pieces of pumpkin. Put the pumpkin pieces in a baking dish or sheet and toss with the oil. Arrange the pumpkin pieces rind side down, cover the pan with foil, and use the tip of a knife to cut a few small steam vents in the foil. Put the pan in the oven and roast until the pumpkin feels quite tender when poked with the tip of a paring knife, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue to roast the pumpkin until the pumpkin is very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven. As soon as the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to peel off and discard the skin. Put the pumpkin flesh in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. You should have 400 g of pumpkin puree (keep any extra for other uses, like sauces or soups!). Set aside the 400 g of puree.

Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough to a 9 inch pie pan. Trim the excess dough to 3/4 - 1 inch overhang. Fold the overhang up and over or down and under and use your hands to press gently on the dough all around the circumference to form a neat pastry rim 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Use your thumb and two fingers to create a crimped edge.

Chill the shell for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line the pastry shell with a piece of parchment and fill it with dried beans or rice or pie weights. Bake until the bottom of the dough is baked through but not yet browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the parchment and weights, then bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In a blender, combine the pumpkin puree, sugars, flour, spices, and salt together and pulse a few times to blend together. Add the cream, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and brown butter and blend on the lowest speed until smooth. Let it sit for a few minutes to let any bubbles come to the surface, then either pop them or skim them off the surface.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell and place it in the oven. Bake at 400 F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 F and bake until the custard is set, 55 to 60 minutes. When the pie is done, the center of the pie will not look soft and jiggly when you shake the pan. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for at least two hours before slicing and serving.

Whip up the brown butter chantilly until stiff peaks form and add to your pie slices when serving. Enjoy!

I've been daydreaming about this flavour combo for weeks. Basically as soon as the weather started to turn rainy and kind dreary (i.e. end of September here), I wanted to make something with hazelnuts and orange and cinnamon because those are the flavours of fall! Warm and spicey and nutty with a little kick of citrus to make sure you're not falling asleep. It's not winter just yet, so we still need a little pep in our step. Also, the colours just seem to scream "Aaaaaah FALL!!" to me - orange, golden brown, cinnamon brown. I went out and collected a bunch of wet leaves off the pavement in the rain just for this shoot, to complete the fall look. That's dedication, guys.

Now, these might look like cinnamon buns but they're kind of not.... I mean, they're a bun and they have cinnamon in them so maybe? But not in the traditional cinnamon bun way. These are flakey and buttery and crispy because the dough is basically croissant dough - lots and lots of buttery layers! And then the filling is, obviously, filled with hazelnuts and orange as well as cinnamon. And then what really makes them proper "morning buns" is that the whole thing is tossed in cinnamon sugar at the end. Really decadent. I mean, you could opt out of the cinnamon sugar dusting and call them cinnamon buns but then we'd just be splitting hairs, I guess. The point is, they're delicious.

These would be an awesome weekend morning treat to surprise your family or friends or maybe just yourself (solo treat-fest is always fun) if you feel like going the extra step. You can make everything the night before and instead of proofing the buns in a warm spot, keep them in the fridge overnight. I can't exactly say how long they can stay in there because that depends on the temperature of your fridge and your dough and all that, but it's worth a shot! Just pop them in the oven and roll 'em in sugar in the morning. The smell alone will get everyone out of bed. Or just make you happy that you got out of bed to bake them.

For the croissant dough, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and give it a quick mix on the lowest setting to distribute all of the ingredients evenly. Add the water and mix until a shaggy dough is formed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the softened butter. Mix on low speed for 10 minutes, until full gluten development is achieved and the dough is smooth.

Remove the dough from the mixer and place on a silpat lined half sheet pan. Spread the dough into a rough rectangle the size of the pan, trying to make it even and flat. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature to ferment for 45 minutes.

While the dough is fermenting, make the filling. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread the hazelnuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 to 12 mintues, until the nuts are golden brown and fragrant. Let them cool, then remove the skins by rubbing them in your hands. Using a food processor, grind the nuts into small pieces resembling cornmeal.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, then add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Remove from the mixer and keep at room temperature until ready to use.

Remove the plastic wrap. Using your palms, flatten the dough to release the large gas bubbles, but do not push all the air out of the dough. Make sure the dough is in all the corners of the half sheet pan and is even. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for 45 minutes.

For the butter block, the ideal temperature for the butter is around 21 C. If the butter is too cold, place a piece of parchment underneath and on top of it and use a rolling pin to pound it down and make it malleable. Shape the butter into a rectangle the size of half a half sheet pan, making sure the edges and corners are sharp and the butter is even and flat. Depending on the temperature of your butter, you may need to keep it at room temperature or in the fridge, or a combination of the two, to keep it at 21 C.

Remove the dough from the freezer. Remove the plastic wrap and place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Let the dough soften for 5 to 10 minutes until it is no longer rock hard, but not soft. Place the butter block on the right hand side of the dough, leaving about 3 cm of dough around the edges of the butter block. Fold the left hand side over, like closing a book, and pinch the seams together.

With the "spine" of the dough (think the spine of a book) on your left, roll the dough out vertically to around 15 cm. Turn the dough so the spine is now facing your stomach and roll it out to 30 cm. Make sure to keep the rectangular shape throughout the entire process. If the dough feels too soft at any point, place it in the fridge for 5 minutes. Do not leave it in the fridge for too long or the butter will become hard and will shatter when you roll it out.

For the first turn, fold the bottom third of the dough up as if you were folding a letter. Fold the top third down to cover the bottom third.

Turn the block 90 degrees so the dough resembles a book, with the opening on the right and the spine on the left. You will continue this pattern with each roll, and keeping the opening on the right will help you remember how to position the dough. You have completed your first turn: gently press a finger into the corner to mark it.

Let the dough relax for at least 15 minutes, either at room temperature or partially in the fridge, depending on the temperature of the dough. Be mindful of the butter temperature.

For the second turn, roll the dough out in the same way as you did before, fold it, mark it, and let it rest. Repeat for the third and fourth turn.

Spray two muffin tins with nonstick spray and set aside. Alternatively, if you have pastry rings that are 1.75 inches high and 3 inches in diameter, use them. They create a cleaner, more consistent pastry.

Roll out the dough to 15 by 30 cm once more. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half, creating two 15 by 15cm squares. Place one square on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge. If you don't plan on using the second square that day, wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Roll out the remaining square to 30 by 22 cm, about 1 cm thick. With the long size facing you, gently spread half of the filling on the dough, leaving a 1 cm border at the bottom with no filling. Brush this bare part with water. Starting from the long size farthest from you, roll the dough tightly towards you, making sure it is even and there are no air pockets. The strip of bare dough with water on it will seal the log and ensure it doesn't unroll.

Repeat with the remaining square of dough.

Using a large sharp knife, cut the log into 4 cm portions. Place them into the muffin tin and loosely cover with plastic wrap.

Place in a warm, humid environment to proof. I set mine on the bathroom counter and put the shower on the hottest temperature for 2 minutes, then turn it off and close the door. The temperature should be around 24 C, but not too much hotter or the butter will melt out of your dough.

Proof the dough for about 1 hour, until they have doubled in size. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 F. If your pastries are ready but you are not ready to bake them yet, place them in the fridge. Do not let them stay in the fridge for too long, as they continue to proof (very slowly) in the fridge and will still overproof if you leave them for too long.

Make the cinnamon sugar at this point. Simply stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a large wide bowl.

When the dough is ready, place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the muffin tin on a cooling rack.

Once the buns are a little warm but no longer hot, remove them from the muffin tins and toss them in the cinnamon sugar if desired.

I'm still alive! Still kicking, you guys! I know there's been a bit of silence around here and a severe lack of baking, but that's how it goes sometimes. I feel like every post I'm apologizing for my insane work schedule so I'm not gonna do that this time. What matters is that I had a two day weekend and I was getting over the flu, so I stayed at home and baked all weekend! It was a rainy couple of days and perfect weather for some cozy fall baking (as well as watching 6 hours of Peaky Blinders and a few movies on Netflix in my pyjamas).

I was brainstorming things to make on my weekend and I was having a bit of a tough time. I wanted something cozy and warming and probably something with apples. I thought about apple crisp or apple hand pies, but that wasn't quite hitting the spot. I was looking through Pinterest to try and get some ideas for apple desserts, but then I got distracted by some awesome photos of cabins.... So I went to my cabin board on Pinterest (yes, I have a board just for cabins) and I started to think of what I would want to eat if I was snuggled up in one of those cabins in my flannel shirt with a big blanket and a warm mug of something.

And so, apple cider doughnuts came to mind!

I've never made cake doughnuts before, only yeasted ones because I love yeasted doughnuts much more than cake doughnuts, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The dough was pretty wet and sticky when I first made and I was super worried but after some time in the fridge, it was fine! And they turned out pretty good. I mean, fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar is never gonna be bad, but for cake doughnuts, they were pretty darn tasty. Definitely good for eating while wearing flannel and drinking hot apple cider.

Speaking of cozy fall weather, I had a two day weekend for the first time in a few weeks back in the beginning of October and decided to fly out to Tofino to surprise one of my good friends who I hadn't seen in months! I organized it with her fiancé and went to their house when they were both at work and started making dinner for them. Lemon and thyme roasted chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, kale salad, and crème brulée for dessert! My friend came home just as everything was coming out of the oven and was so surprised and so happy to see me and I was just over the moon to see her. We chatted for hours and hours, all while the first storm on the season rolled in and dumped down buckets of rain and even flickered the lights a bit. The enxt day, I went walking around town, visiting my favourite spots and reminiscing, then got a burrito and had lunch with my friend at work, and then flew back home! A very short trip, but it was well worth it just to spend the time with my friend. Tofino is definitely one of my favourite places and I especially love it in the fall and winter when the tourists have gone and things are a bit quieter. There wasn't a whole lot of time for photos, but I did manage to take a few!

Bring the apple cider to a boil over high heat and cook it until it has reduced to about 83 g (1/3 cup), 7-10 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the donuts.

Sift the cake flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the shortening and sugar together on medium speed until sandy. Add in the egg and egg yolk and mix on high until light and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Mix the reduced apple cider and buttermilk together. Then add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk mixture to the mixer in three additions mixing until just combined. The dough will be soft and sticky much like cookie dough.

Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or overnight.

When you are ready to roll and fry the donuts, heat a large pot or dutch oven with at least 2 inches of oil over medium heat until the oil reaches 370º F on a candy thermometer. Gently roll the chilled dough out onto a generously floured board or piece of parchment paper into a circle about 1/2'' thick and about 8'' wide. Cut as many donuts and holes as possible, making sure to flour the cutters before each cut. Gently reroll the scraps and cut more holes. If at any time the dough becomes too soft to handle, just put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Place the cut donuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes until they are slightly firm and easier to handle. While the donuts are chilling, stir together the cinnamon and sugar for the topping in a shallow, wide bowl.

Brush off any excess flour and fry the donuts for about 1 minute per side, being careful not to crowd the pan. When the donuts are deep golden brown on each side, remove them from the oil, gently blot off excess oil and toss immediately in the cinnamon sugar.

This is kind of a last hurrah to summer, as sad as it is to say! Summer came pretty late to Vancouver, with rain and temperatures in the teens (that's around 60 F for you Americans) well into July. We pretty much just got August as a real summer... But whatever! The produce was still great and the peaches, my favourite summer produce, were still great, too. I think pies are the best way to celebrate the best fruit of the season, so here we are!

As I've mentioned before, I've been struggling a bit to keep up with blog while working crazy hours (12 to 15 hours a day, sometimes 6 days a week) and also enjoying my life and getting outside once in a while. I'm sure once the rain and the dark comes back, I'll be back to posting more often but for now, I'm taking advantage of the nice days. The past two weekends, I woke up early and went out kayaking and hiking. I'm really lucky to live in a place where I can take a bus 30 minutes and be able do things like this. It's not completely out there in nature, but damn does it feel good. There's something about being out in nature, getting away from the stress and the noise and the hustle and the constant buzz of people, that really calms me. Kayaking has been especially restorative, as I've gone out alone the past two times. Just the sound of the water and the birds and the wind through the trees... Man oh man, if I could get out there every day, I would. I'm definitely going to be dropping a fair bit of money at the kayak rental place throughout the year.

When I'm out on the water, all the extra bullshit fades away. Stress from work, things people have said, those niggling little insecurities - they all just seem unimportant. It's the same as when I'm in the mountains. Life gets put into perspective when you're out there. I've realized that I'm starting to become the person I really want to be, especially with all the big changes I've made in the past 6 months. It's just a start, but I'm already thinking of some more changes for next year and I'm trying to get things in place. I guess they seem like little things to everyone else, but to me they're little pieces to a bigger picture - getting outside more, going on more adventures, saying yes to more things, discovering what I'm capable of, and taking risks! I haven't been this excited for the future since I was in pastry school. Except this time the focus is not on work, but more on myself.

Anyways, you didn't come here to hear about that shit and look at my pretty nature photos. You came here for pie and ice cream and I don't blame you! This pie is a stunner, as it basically any pie. And the ice cream adds the perfect balance of creamy, sweet, herby, and bright. Pie without ice cream really isn't living up to it's true potential and while I will always been a fan of vanilla ice cream, I also love an ice cream tailored to the specific pie. Peaches and blackberries goes well together, peach and blackberries go well with lemon verbena, and honey goes well with just about everything. A perfect send-off for the best of summer fruit!

So here's to you, summer. You were short and sweet and I'm gonna miss ya. But I also love sweaters and scarves and hot chocolate so I'm not heartbroken. See you next year!

Set up an ice bath beforehand. Combine the whole milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Combine the honey and egg yolks and whisk until slightly paler in colour. Once the milk mixture has come to just a boil, whisk in a third of it into the yolk mixture, then another third. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the custard has thickened and reads 82 C. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl set over the ice bath.

Let the custard cool to room temperature. Once cool, stir the lemon zest and lemon verbena into the custard. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, strain the custard and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

For the pie crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in an large bowl. Add the cold butter and shortening and pinch the butter and shortening between your fingers until the mixture look shaggy and the pieces of butter are slightly smaller than peas.The butter pieces should be the size of small peas.

Put the ice-cold water and vinegar into a measuring cup and stir to combine. Add the water-vinegar to the flour-fat mixture and gently knead, but do not let the dough come together.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients. Squeeze a small amount of dough in your hand. The dough should come together in a clump. If it’s too dry, add a little more water a few teaspoons at a time.

Remove the dough from the bowl, shape into two flat circles, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Unwrap one disk of dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8th inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie tin and gently press the dough into the sides of the pan. Trim the excess dough to a 3/4th to 1 inch overhang.

If you wish to make a lattice top, take out the second disk of dough from the fridge. Roll the disk out in a roughly rectangular shape to a thickness of 1/8th inch. Using a ruler, cut your strips. If you want a braid, cut three thin strips and gently braid them together. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the fridge.

Chill the dough-lined pie tin while you make the filling.

For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the peaches with the lemon juice, zest, and vanilla paste and toss to coat. Gently fold in the blackberries. In a separate bowl, combine the sugars and flour and stir. Pour the dry mixture over the peaches and berries and gently toss to combine.

Remove the dough-lined pie tin and pour in the filling.

Remove the dough strips from the fridge and create your lattice. If the dough begins to warm too much, chill both the strips and the pie in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes. It is essential to only work with the dough when it is cold and firm (but not rock hard). Once the lattice is complete, fold the overhang under itself.

Chill the pie for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 F.

Brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle generously with demerera sugar.

Position a rack in the lower third of your oven. Place the pie on a baking sheet on the rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pie to a rack in the center of your oven, lower the temperature to 350 F and bake for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until cooled completely, about 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or reheat in a 350 F oven for a few minutes.

Every year, I do a s'mores dessert of some sort. Last years S'mores Custard Cake was a massive hit. I think it's my most popular post on this blog and by far the most popular instagram post I've ever had. It was featured by thefeedfeed, an instagram account with over 1 million followers (!!!), it was their most liked photo of 2015! I don't know if I can ever top that, but this year I think I've given the custard cakes a run for their money.

I bought these popsicle molds just for these ice cream pops. I've had the idea for s'mores ice cream pops for months now and I kept meaning to buy proper molds for them, but I've been so busy that I didn't get around to it. Actually, no, I did order some off amazon, those nice rounded edge ice cream bar molds... Too bad they were like 3 inches tall and I didn't notice that when I ordered them... Anyways, when I saw these popsicle molds, I knew I had to buy them, even though they were $45. But seeing as how awesome these turned out, I think it was worth it.

There's just something about s'mores that everyone loves. It's more than just the awesome combo of chocolate + graham crackers + marshmallows. For most people, it brings back happy memories of sitting around a fire as a kid, roasting (and sometimes burning) marshmallows and squashing them between two graham crackers with a hunk of chocolate on a late summer night surrounded by friends and family. Those kinds of food memories are the basis for some of the best dishes, whether it's from a home cook or one of the best chefs in the world. I think I bring up food memories every time I make a s'mores dessert, but it's such a fascinating concept to me. The food that immediately brings us back to a specific moment in our childhood and all the feelings associated with that come rushing back with just one bite. Everyone has them and most of them are wildly different depending on what you grew up on, but s'mores is one that a lot of people share and it's incredible to be able to recreate the nostalgic feeling for so many people with just one simple dessert.

For the streusel, combine the almond meal, graham crumbs, sugar, and flour in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and work with your fingers until the mixture starts to come together in small clumps. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread the streusel in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

For the ice cream, whisk together the cocoa powder with half the sugar in a saucepan. Pour in a tiny bit of milk to make a smooth paste before slowly adding the rest of the milk and cream. Add the glucose or corn syrup and the salt.

Whisk the egg yolks and remaining half of the sugar until slightly paler in colour.

Heat over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Return to the pot and cook over low heat, using a rubber spatula to continuously stir the custard. Cook until it is thick and coats the back of a spoon (or until it is 80 C).

Remove from heat and pour over the chopped chocolate, whisking to melt it. Use an immersion blender to fully emulsify the mixture.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and cool over an ice bath until it is room temperature, giving it a stir every so often to prevent a skin from forming.

Once it is cool, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate overnight.

Before you churn the ice cream, fill your popsicle molds 1/4 full with graham streusel, pressing it in so it is compact and place the molds in the freezer. Prepare a piping bag fitted with a small circular tip.

Churn according to the manufacturers instruction. Transfer the ice cream to the piping bag. Take one popsicle mold and tilt it to the side so the streusel is on the side as well. Pipe in the ice cream, making sure to get into the ends and leave no air pockets. Place back into the holder and repeat with the remaining molds, then place the sticks in. You will have lots of extra ice cream (not a bad thing, in my opinion) so transfer that to a container and place in the freezer. Place the popsicle molds in the freezer and let harden for at least 2 hours.

To unmold the popsicles, run the mold under warm water for just a second and then gently pull out by the stick. Place on a baking sheet and let them freeze again until you are ready to finish them. Once they have the meringue on them, you cannot freeze them again and they must be served.

For the meringue, combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer set over a bain-marie. Heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until it reaches 60 C or the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your fingers. Transfer to the mixer and whip on medium high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Using a spoon or a small offset spatula, cover the pops with meringue and gently torch with a handheld butane torch.

I've dropped the ball quite a bit with my weekly posts, but I'm sure you guys can totally understand because it's summer and who really wants to spend their whole weekend in a kitchen, especially when I spend 12 hours a day in a kitchen already. I've been out doing things on my weekend and hanging out with friends and going hiking and just generally having a life, which is something that I haven't had for a while. It's easy to throw yourself into your career when you're passionate about it and the fact that my hobby (this blog) is also related to my career makes it even easier to spend all day every day baking.

One of those weekends of actual living included this amazing hike up Mt Rohr with my dad. We drove for 2 and a half hours, past Pemberton, and set out with our packs. About 2 and a half hours, we reached a perfect spot to set up our camp. We only saw two other people that day! It was so quiet and beautiful and peaceful. I was a bit bummed before the hike because of some boy troubles, but once you're up there in the mountains, the little stuff doesn't matter anymore. Not much matters up there. You realize that all the extra crap in life that we surround ourselves with - whether it's possessions or distractions or whatever it is that we try to fill those voids inside us - it's all just noise. Living your life and doing what truly makes you happy is what matters, not just what makes you temporarily fake happy like getting a bunch of likes on an instagram photo. So I encourage you guys to get out there this summer (or this coming summer for you guys in the southern hemisphere) and experience nature - real nature! Don't get go park your car in one of those car campground places where there's a faucet for water and a store five minutes away, that doesn't count. Really get out there and experience the quiet beauty of nature and you'll see that every worry you might have will just fade away.

It might seem like a contradicting thing to switch to blog news after I've been all hippy "get out in nature, don't care about social media, blah blah blah" but whatever, this is my blog and I can write whatever I want.

I got the email as my dad and I were driving back from the hike and started freaking out in the car. This is something that I've had on my mind for years now but this is the first time that I've nominated myself and asked other to nominate me because I finally feel like I'm good enough to have a shot at winning. But I didn't really think it would ACTUALLY happen. But here we are. I'm so thankful to everyone who has ever read my blog, pinned a picture of mine, liked one of my instagram photos, left a comment on my blog, and basically supported me and encouraged me throughout the 3 and a half years that I've had this blog. It means the world to me.

This is a massive deal to every food blogger out there - it's like the Oscars of food blogging! All the nominees are invited to a big ol' party (this year is in NYC!) and it's basically a real-life meeting of all the big food bloggers. So....why am I gonna be there?! I mean, this is just my hobby and I'm not a BIG food blogger, I'm still just a little guy. At least, it feels like that. It's mind blowing that I have so many people reading the shit I write here (I'm not nominated for Best Writing, after all...) and actually taking the time to leave a comment! Seriously, just crazy.

So I guess this cake is to celebrate!! I'm really hoping I can go to NYC to meet everyone, but it's totally dependent on my work. Getting time off in a kitchen isn't like anywhere else - even getting just one day off is a hassle - and there's no guarantees. But I'll try my darnedest, you guys! I only had one day in New York back in May and that just whet my appetite, so I'd love to get...well, more than one day in New York. I want to hit up a bunch of restaurant ands cafés and bakeries and shops and that cool store where you bought a funny fridge magnet that one time like four months ago, so hit me up with suggestions!! I wanna know!!

Stay tuned for more updates on this, if I get my butt in gear and actually make things on my weekends and have things to post. But yeah!

To start, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray three 6-inch cake rings with non-stick spray, then line with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs a little bit at a time, beating after each addition, until fully incorporate. Combine the brown butter, vanilla paste, and vanilla extract and add it to the mixture, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat again for 2 minutes.

Sift the dry ingredients and add to the mixture, mixing on low until just incorporated. Gently fold in the raspberries by hand (note: I pressed the raspberries into the cakes and thought they would sink into the batter while baking, but they didn't! So definitely fold them into the batter so they can be evenly distributed in the cake, unlike my layers)

Divide evenly between the three cake rings and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes and cool completely.

For the peach compote, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan set over medium low heat and cook until the peaches have disintegrated and the mixture is thick, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

For the buttercream, combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer set over a bain-marie and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reads 60 C or is no longer gritty when rubbed between your fingers. Transfer to the stand mixer and whip until glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes.

Add the butter a few pieces at a time and whip until the buttercream is creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla paste and whip for 20 seconds to combine. Transfer half of the buttercream to a piping bag with a medium circular tip and reserve the rest in the bowl for masking the cake.

To assemble the cake, first trim the tops of each cake layer so they are flat and even. Place one round on a cake turntable and pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the cake. This will act as a border and make sure the compote doesn't squish out the sides when you're assembling the cake. Spread one third of the compote inside the buttercream ring and smooth it to an even layer. Place the second round of cake on top and repeat the process.

Refrigerate the cake until the buttercream is firm, about 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the fridge and mask it with the remaining buttercream (you will not use all of it). Refrigerate the cake again until the buttercream is firm, 20 minutes.

Remove from the fridge and decorate with the extra buttercream and fruit.

Another recipe featuring herbs from my little balcony garden! All my plants are positively thriving now (my verbena plant has doubled in height!) and I think I'm going to start giving away bundles of herbs to people at work because I cannot possibly use all the herbs that I am growing. But I love it! My cilantro flowered a few days ago with these beautiful tiny white flowers, so I picked those and some lavender and put them in a little jar on my coffee table and I just feel so grown up and fancy.

It's been a pretty crappy summer here in Vancouver so far, with temperatures hanging around 15-18 C and clouds all the time and even rain! Like all day rain, not just a summer storm. But finally, it's starting to look up. The forecast predicts a whole week of sunshine and 25+ C temperatures! Which is really super considering I'm going to be in a kitchen with no windows for 12 hours a day for the next week....Just super.

But at least the berries are still acting like it's summer! All the local berries (and even some peaches) are in the markets and are just DELICIOUS! We have awesome blueberries here in British Columbia (and we are actually one of the largest high-bush blueberry growing regions in the world) and it's always a treat when the local ones start popping up. It's so easy to eat them like candy! I managed to restrain myself from eating all of them and made individual galettes with them. I put a little bit of lemon thyme in there to give a herby note, to make them a little different than the usual. But they hardly need to be fussed with and this is way I love to enjoy the best fruits of summer - surrounded by flaky pastry and a bit of sugar and lemon juice.

For the pie crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in an electric mixer. Add the cold butter and shortening and mix on low speed until the mixture look shaggy and the pieces of butter are slightly smaller than peas. Stop the mixer and check the size of the butter, sifting through the mixture with your hands. If you find bigger chunks, smear them between your fingers.

Put the ice-cold water and vinegar into a measuring cup and stir to combine. Add the water-vinegarto the flour-fat mixture on low speed and mix briefly with a few rotations of the paddle, but do not let the dough come together.

Turn off the mixture and scrape the sides and bottom of the mixer to make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients. Squeeze a small amount of dough in your hand. The dough should come together in a clump. If it’s too dry, add a little more water a few teaspoons at a time.

Remove the dough from the mixer, divide the dough into 8 equal disks, wrap each one in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Unwrap one disk of dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll each one out to about 6 inches. If you want cleaner edges, use a bowl and a knife to cut a perfect circle from each round. place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rounds of dough.

Place the rounds in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

For the filling, toss the blueberries with the lemon juice. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour, lemon thyme, and lemon zest in a bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle the mixture over the berries and gently toss to coat the berries.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Remove the rounds of dough from the fridge. If they are too warm, put them back in the fridge for another 5 to 10 minutes. If they are too cold and stiff, keep them at room temperature until they are plaible.

Brush the outside of one disk with egg wash. Put about 1/3 cup of blueberries in the middle of the disk and gently fold the pastry up and pleat it to create the galette. Top up the galette with more berries if you need to. Repeat with the remaining galettes.

Refrigerate the finished galettes until firm, about 20 minutes. Brush the pastry with eggwash and liberally sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through.

Remove from the oven and serve warm (with ice cream!) and a sprinkle of fresh lemon thyme leaves. Rewarm in a 300 F oven for 10 to 15 minutes if you want to serve them later.

I am so happy to have my little balcony garden, especially now that things are growing on their own and I can pick herbs without worrying about killing the plant! I've already used some cilantro from my plant that looked like it was almost dead when I bought it, but now is green and sprouting new leaves every day. My lemon verbena plant is bouncing back after I picked a heck of a lot of leaves for this recipe and is bigger than before. I used some lemon balm and mint leaves in a drink last week and it was so delicious and refreshing. It's such an incredible feeling to just go outside and pick the herbs you need right off the plant.

Once summer rolls around, everyone busts out the herbs. Summer is all about bright flavours and tons of refreshing herbs, at least to me. Almost everything I make in the summer has either lemon or lime and a butt load of fresh herbs, especially cilantro. This is no exception! Blackberry and lime go very well together and the bright citrusy herby taste of lemon verbena goes great with both of them.

I've paired up with Sabatier for another post on basic knife skills, this time to show you guys a basic chiffonade. The chiffonade technique is used for cutting flat leaf greens/herbs into little strips, like basil or spinach or sage. If you're cutting a larger leaf, like basil, first you lay three or four leaves on top of each other. Then, roll the herbs up lengthwise. If you're cutting something that isn't very wide (like lemon verbena), you don't need to roll up the herbs.

For a more detailed description on how to hold the knife and the product you're cutting, check out my previous Sabatier post!

With a firm grip on your Santoku knife and your fingers safely holding the leaves, simply cut thin strips. It's that easy! The chiffonade technique is invaluable when cutting large leafy herbs like basil - and the strips make a beautiful garnish, too.

Don't forget to keep your knives sharp! A dull knife is a dangerous knife, so try to sharpen your knives as often as you can. Always hand wash your knives (carefully!) and dry them immediately - no knives in the dishwasher!!! Take care of your knives and they'll last for years.

For the blackberry compote, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan set over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Turn the heat down to low and cook until the berries are soft and the liquid has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

For the streusel, combine the sugar and lime zest in a small bowl and use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar to release the oils. Add the almond flour and all-purpose flour and stir to combine. Add the butter and use your fingertips to break up the butter and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture starts to clump together in small pea-sized clumps. Refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread the streusel onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring the streusel every 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For the vanilla cream, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and vanilla paste in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Combine the granulated sugar and egg yolks and whisk until slightly paler in colour. Once the milk mixture has come to just a boil, whisk in a third of it into the yolk mixture, then another third. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the custard has thickened and reads 82 C. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl set over an ice bath. Once the custard has cooled to room temperature, place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate until completely cold, about 3 hours or overnight.

Once the custard has cooled, prepare your glasses. Spoon some of the blackberry compote into each glass and sprinkle a generous amount of streusel on top.

To finish the vanilla cream, whip the 161 g of heavy cream to medium peaks. Take a small portion of the custard and place it in a bowl set over a bain-marie. Heat it just until it is hot to the touch, then add the bloomed gelatin sheet. Stir to combine.

Add the gelatin custard mixture back into the rest of the custard mixture and whisk briefly to combine. Fold in one-third of the heavy cream into the custard mixture, then the remaining cream. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe the cream into your prepared glasses. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

As wonderful and summery as these cream puffs are, I am totally not feeling the summer right now because it is pouring ran and kinda chilly. Like, summer is officially here and I am still wearing jackets and boots. What is this, Vancouver. Seriously. We had some nice weather back in May, but the past couple weeks have been crap weather so get your shit together, summer!

At least there's some nice summer produce in the markets so I can pretend it's nice and sunny and summery. Strawberry and passion fruit are a great flavour combo - they compliment each other so well. Sweet, tart, fruity, acidic, it's got it all goin' on. And then a bit of greek yogurt in there for extra creaminess and a little tangy goodness. I love acidic flavours and I tend to incorporate them into everything I make, sweet and savoury. I always have lemons and limes in my fridge! Lemon juice on everything, basically.

You could definitely use a lemon curd in place of passion fruit curd here, but I highly recommend using passion fruit because it is such a bright and delicious flavour that is a little out of the ordinary for most people. Fresh, local strawberries are key here, too. Try to get them when they're in season in your area, when they're red on the inside and sweet and juicy - that'll make the best purée and the best flavour in the mousse.

First, make the cookies for the cream puff. Place the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and use a fork to break up any lumps. Add the all-purpose flour and almond meal.

Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low to combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter and pulse the mixer on the lowest setting to begin incorporating and breaking up the butter. Increase the speed to low and mix for about 3 minutes, until the butter is broken up and completely incorporated into the dry mixture; the mixture will begin to come together in large crumbles but will not gather into one uniform mass.

Place two pieces of parchment paper on the work surface and divide the crumbles between the sheets. Using your hands bring the crumbles together to begin to form a dough; it will still be crumbly. Then top each potion of the dough with another piece of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to the back of a sheet pan, stacking one on top of the other, and freeze for 5 to 10 minutes.

Working with one sheet at a time, continue rolling, freezing the dough again as it softens, until it is 1/16th inch thick. During this process, the dough will crack and gaps will form; parch them as needed with bits of dough. Do not worry if the edges are a bit rough; the cookie will be cut with a cutter.

Freeze until cold before cutting out cookies. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.

For the choux, prepare your sheet pan. Line a sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper. Use a template underneath the silpat/parchment to help with spacing and consistent size. I used a 2.75 inch diameter template.

Alternatively, if you have a 2.75 inch (or similar diameter) demi sphere silicone mold, this is the perfect use for it. It will create consistently even and level cream puffs. For these cream puffs, I used my silicone mold and it produced near perfect cream puffs. For just $12, these silicone molds are worth the money even if you just use them for cream puffs. It makes a big difference.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan, place over medium heat, and stir as the butter melts. Once the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat and, with a stiff heatproof or wooden spoon, stir in all of the flour. Continue to stir for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture has a paste-like consistency, then place over medium heat and stir rapidly for 1 to 2 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean; the dough should be glossy and smooth but not dry.

Immediately transfer the dough to the mixer bowl and mix on low for about 30 seconds to release some of the moisture. Slowly begin adding the eggs, about 50 grams at a time, beating until each addition is completely absorbed before adding the next one. Continue adding the eggs, reserving 25 grams, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl when pulled with the paddle but then grabs back on again.

Increase the speed to medium and mix for 15 seconds to be sure all of the eggs are incorporated. Stop the mixer. When the paddle if lifted, the dough should form a bird's beak - it should hold its shape and turn down over itself but not break off. If the dough is too stiff, add the reserved egg.

Transfer the dough to a pastry bag and chill the dough until cold, about 20 minutes. Pipe the dough on the silpat or parchment using the templates.

If you are using a silicone mold, pipe the choux into the molds, level off the surface with a small offset spatula, and freeze until hard. Unmold onto a silpat or parchment.

Cut out a cookie that, when baked, will cover not just the top of the puff but the sides and bottom as well. Place a cookie on top of the choux and press down a tiny bit, just enough to secure it to the choux.

Put the choux in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350 F and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Lower the oven temperature to 325 F and bake for about 10 minutes, until the puffs are light and feel hollow. Break one open if necessary: the centre should appear completely cooked.

Set the pan on a cooking rack and cool completely before filling.

For the passion fruit curd, place the gelatin sheet in ice water to soften. Combine the eggs, sugar, and passion fruit purée in a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Cook the curd, whisking constantly, until thickened and the temperature is about 82 C.

Remove from the hot water bath and whisk for a minute to cool it down. Squeeze the excess water from the softened gelatin sheet and add to the curd, whisking for another minute to ensure it is dissolved. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer.

Using a Vitamix or an immersion blender, blend on low speed for a few seconds, then add the butter 2 to 3 pieces at a time, blending until incorporated. Let the curd cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 3 hours.

The curd can be used at this point or transferred to a covered container. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

For the strawberry fluid gel, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 10 seconds, then remove from heat and pour into a container. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Once the gel is set, use a Vitamix or immersion blender to blend the gel until completely smooth and slightly warm. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and reserve in the fridge until ready to use.

Before you start the mousse, ensure all your cream puffs are completely cooled. Use a toothpick to create a small hole in the bottom of the cream puff. Reserve them on a tray at room temperature. Place your passion fruit curd in a piping bag fitted with a small circular tip.

For the yogurt chantilly, combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large circular tip.

For the strawberry and yogurt mousse, combine the strawberry purée and greek yogurt and whisk together. Whip the heavy cream to medium peaks. Gently fold the cream into the strawberry mixture in 3 additions. Immediately transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small circular tip.

To assemble, pipe a small amount of passion fruit curd into the cream puff and gently shake it so that the curd settles into the bottom (you are holding it upside while you do this, so the bottom is actually the top of the puff). Repeat with all the cream puffs. Pipe in the strawberry mousse until you feel resistance and you cannot pipe any more in. Repeat with all the cream puffs.

Pipe the yogurt chantilly onto each puff and top with a few dots of strawberry gel, passion fruit curd, and fresh strawberry cubes. Serve immediately.

So after only a month and a half of living in my new apartment, I finally went out and acquired some furniture!!! I say acquired because my mom helped me pick out everything and my parents paid for all of it... Except the most important purchase of the day, which I paid for with all my own money (mostly because it's ridiculous), which was a t-rex skull.

I've always been slightly obsessed with dinosaurs (and all things to do with nature - note the giant yellow block of National Geographics) and as soon as I saw him, I loved him. I had to get him. As you can see, he's a big sucker. But I think he actually goes well with the rest of my decor (once it arrives) because I'm going with a dark wood and dark metal look. Even my mom warmed up to him and said he looked pretty good in the apartment. And I named him Charles. I mean, why not? If I'm going to buy a ridiculously large and obnoxious dinosaur skull, I might as well go all out and name him. I'm thinking of dressing him up for holidays and birthdays, too. Maybe a little party hat on my birthday (or his birthday, which would be June 15th I guess) and a Santa hat for Christmas. Maybe a bowtie for New Years... I think I have a new tradition starting....

I can't believe I'm an adult and I can do these kinds of things and no one can stop me.

In addition to my frivolous reptilian acquisition, I got some wonderful new furniture! Two bookcases (one in the picture with Charles), a dining table, a bench, four chairs, a side table, a coffee table, and a media console! All dark wood with dark metal, thought they're all from different stores or makers. Everything but the bookcases will be delivered in a few weeks, though. My mom was wonderfully kind enough to buy me a few of the smaller essentials that I needed like a bathroom mirror and a salt and pepper mill and drapes - all things that I wouldn't have the time or inclination to go out and get. Plus, it's tough to carry all that crap on the bus.

We also got a bunch of new herbs for my balcony! I had a little mint and rosemary plant, plus a few succulents. But NOW! I have two giant pots with 6 different types of lavender, some oregano, a little tomato plant, lemon grass, lemon balm, citronella, thyme, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, and cilantro! I absolutely cannot wait to make sorbet with the lemon verbena and drinks with the lemon balm and citronella, and desserts with the lemon thyme! And they all smell absolutely amazing. My whole balcony smells incredible.

Then, to make the weekend even better, my dad came over and we put together and stained two adirondack chairs for my balcony! It was so fun to hang out on the balcony in the sunshine and putting together these chairs piece by piece. Staining was a bit stressful because we were inside and worrying about staining everything else, but it turned out okay. They're not totally finished because the first coat has to dry for 24 hours and then there's still the second and third coat to do, but they look amazing already! Everything is coming together so nicely and my place it really starting to feel like home - MY home.

I really can't wait to have all my furniture delivered and set up so I can have some friends over and actually be proud of my apartment. Next on the to-do list is to get some art from an incredible west coast photographer, but that's gonna cost a fair bit so I'll wait a couple months. But still! I can have friends over and we can sit on my balcony surrounded by my lovely little potted garden and have drinks and cook dinner! I've never been able to do this because my last apartment was so tiny and didn't even have a dining table at all, so I'm stupidly excited to actually be able to have people over for dinner!

For the ice cream, wash and take the green part off the strawberries. Cut into 1/2 inch dice and toss with the 10 g of granulated sugar. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then blend using an immersion or regular blender. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Set up an ice bath beforehand. Combine the whole milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Combine the granulated sugar and egg yolks and whisk until slightly paler in colour. Once the milk mixture has come to just a boil, whisk in a third of it into the yolk mixture, then another third. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the custard has thickened and reads 82 C. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl set over the ice bath.

Let the custard cool to room temperature. Once cool, immersion blend the strawberry puree into the custard. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and refrigerate overnight.

For the streusel, combine the almond meal, flour, sugar, and vanilla powder in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Add the butter and use your fingertips to break up the butter and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture starts to clump together in small pea-sized clumps. Refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread the streusel onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring the streusel every 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For the rhubarb compote, combine the rhubarb, sugar, vanilla paste, lemon zest and juice, and stir to combine. Cook over low heat until the rhubarb has completely broken down and the mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring often to prevent the bottom from scorching.

Remove from heat and transfer to a clean bowl to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container with plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate. Store up to 2 days.

Churn the strawberry ice cream base according to the manufacturers instructions. Pre-chill your container (I usually use a loaf tin) in the freezer while the ice cream is churning.

Once ready, spoon about 1/3 of the ice cream into your container. Add a few spoonfuls of rhubarb compote and swirl it in. Generously sprinkle with streusel. Add another 1/3 of the ice cream and repeat the process with the remaining compote and streusel.